Gluten-Free Sourdough Pizza

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A Pizza like no others!
For the pizza lovers and those who can't live without it but cannot have the real thing or eat out...

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Strange isn't it when you say pizza I feel excited — and I'm sure I'm not the only one!
May be it's because, as a child, we would have pizza from the food truck once or twice a year and will make the perfect evening together as a family. Often, it was also associated with some form of reward, let it be for passing an exam or having done something worth celebrating. 
This, indeed, can create a very clear pattern. Food can become addictive for this very reason. Every time you feel like celebrating or need some emotional pick-me-up, then you would instinctively go for a pizza (or anything else for that matter), even though you may not even be hungry. This is "comfort" food at its best. You're looking to please your brain, to cheer it up so you can feel better about the situation, yourself and perhaps the future. 
Strangely enough, there was something about pizza that did not agree with me. Even though, the word pizza still excites me, I am not usually a pizza eater. That is because I feel terrible, and so does my body, for a very long time. I probably did not have a takeway pizza in the  last decade. 

Well, things have changed. 
I have made the most exquisite pizza, experimenting with various sauces and toppings, all tasting extraordinarilly and yet my body did not make me regret it as I tasted and tried my creations, one piece after the other, after the other... 
Actually, it made me happy. The memories of our family together so long ago, the joy of sharing something exceptional (even if it was pizza and time together as a family).
I made the most scrumptious gluten-free sourdough pizza. Looking like the real thing but tasting a million time better. And now, you can make the same and enjoy the result of my experimentation, experimenting yourself with various sauces and your favourite toppings. 


Sourdough base recipe (Updated GLUTEN-FREE Sourdough Bread Recipe)
 (For the pizza, I've made the dough exclusively using sprouted buckwheat flour, but you can play around with buckwheat and gluten free brown bread flour proportion to make the perfect taste to suit your tastebuds). I also used 150 gram of buckwheat flour to flour the working top. You may have to use more or less depending on the dough. As you work it wih your hands, it should not stick to your fingers. It may however stick to the surfaces but to make it easier, use a scrapper to fold the bottom over the top and flour a litlle to work it. It should eventually start to feel like regular dough. 

How to work the dough and prevent it to stick to the working surface.

Thin crust. With a sharp knife cut out the extra dough.

Recipe (makes 4 individual thin-crust pizza)
Sourdough base
+ 150 g extra buckwheat flour
+ ​Toppings

1. Make the dough using a mixer with the K-beater attachement and leave to proof for about 2-4 hours. Cover the dough with a slightly damp cloth and keep in a draft-free place, preferebaly warm (keep inside your oven but it's not necessary to switch it on), you just want the flavour to intensify and the mixture to combine and the starch to expand.
2. Divide the dough in four even portions, and shape each into a ball (2 balls  if you are making a whole tray to share). Rest each ball on a floured top. 
3. Using the first ball, roll into a circle using a rolling pin (or use 1 ball to roll into a square if you are making a whole tray to share)
4. Leave to proof for a minimum of 20 minutes (preferably 2 hours), covered with a damp cloth.

Vegan Cream & Mushroom Pizza

(for 2 individual pizza)
200 ml oat crème fraîche (you can also use rice or soya cream)
3 large Portobello mushrooms (sliced)
1 small courgette
1 handfull of cherry tomoatoes (cut into halves)
4 tbsp hemp seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Fresh herb (either parsley or coriander) or wild rocket leaves 

1. Slice each mushroom into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Dry-fry using a cast iron skillet or flat griddle. Once coloured (about 3 minutes), turn over and then leave to cool on a plate. Season with a little salt and pepper. 
2. Thinly slice the courgette and quickly cook the slices on a griddle (1-2 minutes each side)
3. Pre-heat fan-assited oven to 200˚c.
4. With a spoon, spread the crème fraîche on top of the rolled dough. Season with a pinch salt, pepper and a little oregano. 
5. Sprinkle the hemp seeds over.
6. Add the toppings. Sprinkle organo. 
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked. 

Vegan Parmesan

1 handful of macadamia nuts
​a dozen cashews
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1. Soak cashews in a large bowl of water overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse thoroughly. 
2. Using a coffee grinder or small food processor, blitz the nuts. Once near a powder, add the nutritional yeast. 
3. Blitz some more until a fine powder, but do not make a butter.
   
4. Sprinkle on top of the pizza as you would parmesan.  

Goat Cheese & Mushrooms
with a hint of truffle oil

(for 2 individual pizza)
Tomato sauce
250 ml passata
150 ml water
2 medium red onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 heaped tsp herbes de Provence
Salt/Pepper

Toppings
150 g goat cheese (with rind)
​3 large Portobello mushrooms (sliced)
1 small courgette
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 handful grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella or parmesan)
​​1 tbsp truffle oil

1. Dice the onions into a brunoise and crush the garlic.
2. Place in a medium pan with lid on and gently melt over slow-medium heat. 
3. Once the onions appears translucent, add the tomato paste and the herbes de Provence, and stir from time to time until it starts browning.
4. Deglaze with Balsamic and pour the passata and water. Cover with lid and bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes until it has thicken a little. 
5. Leave inside the pan to cool. 
6. Slice each mushroom into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Dry-fry using a cast iron skillet or flat griddle. Once coloured (about 3 minutes), turn over and then leave to cool on a plate. Season with a little salt and pepper. 
7. Thinly slice the courgette and quickly cook the slices on a griddle (1-2 minutes each side)
8. Pre-heat fan-assited oven to 200˚c.
9. Spread generously the tomato sauce on top of the prepared dough and add all the toppins. 
10. Sprinkle with your favourite cheese(s) and bake for 20 minutes. 
11. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes and sprinkle with truffle oil, cut and serve. 

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YOUR Favourite Pizza
(comment below!)

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Serving suggestion - Vegan Cream & Mushrooms Pizza